Logistics stutters back to post- Sandy ‘normality’

When hurricane Sandy slammed into the north-east coast of the US last Monday it shut down all the ports and airports in the region. The major airports closed for three days, but flights got under way from Wednesday onwards – although air cargo movement in the region was still restricted. Warren Tempest of IAG Cargo (the combine of BA World Cargo and Iberia Cargo), told the press that the company had resumed its operations to New York on Wednesday, and by Thursday was operating at very nearly full schedule. He acknowledged that there was still a backlog of traffic, but that the cargo operation was almost back up to speed. Another commentator told the press that local power companies estimated that a complete return to normal on electricity supplies could take between seven and 14 days. He also underlined growing petrol shortages in New York, and agreed that backlogs of airfreight had built up in warehouses. The ports were much harder hit. Sandy struck hard last Monday, inundating terminals and forcing ships tied up dockside or moored close to shore to flee to open water to avoid damage by waves or a storm surge well above the normal high tide. However, the sea ports of Philadelphia and Boston declared themselves open again on Wednesday/ Thursday – although clearing up damage and flooding took priority, and it was still some time until cargo operations began to tick over again. But the major Port of New York and New Jersey remained closed – still with no power, and with damaged facilities and flooding hampering attempts to start moving cargo again. It was only by the weekend that floodwaters fully receded, and port roads were cleared for tractor trailers that haul 40-foot shipping containers. However, power was still out in some areas and would have to be restored for the port to resume full operations, the Port Authority said. The agency said crews had worked around the clock to clear hundreds of containers floated by floodwaters, and to repair roadways, rail lines, electrical systems and other port facilities damaged by the storm. “Reopening of the port is critical to the region’s economic recovery from the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy,” the Port Authority said in a statement. The container terminals at the east coast’s busiest port finally stuttered back into business last Sunday/ Monday. Longshoremen began unloading a variety of Sunday morning at the Maher and APM container terminals along Newark Bay in Elizabeth, the Port Authority said, and several ships were expected at the two terminals that day, it added. The Port Newark terminal in Newark and the Global terminal in Jersey City were scheduled to open their gates on Monday morning, followed by the first vessel’s arrival at Global on Sunday evening, the Port Authority said. Officials did not have estimates for how much the storm had cost the port in terms of damage, lost wages and earnings or other expenses. But an analysis done by the Port Authority put the cost to the region at US$136 million a week in personal income and another US$110 m in economic output. CAPTION Superstorm Sandy’s devastation ... complete return to normal on electricity supplies could take up to 14 days.